Frank Bourne

Frank Bourne (27 April 1854-8 May 1945) was a British Army Lieutenant-Colonel who was awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for his bravery at the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift while he was just a Color Sergeant.

Biography
Frank Bourne was born in Balcombe, Sussex, England on 27 April 1854, and he joined the British Army in 1872 and was promoted to Color Sergeant four years later. In 1879, he was garrisoned at Rorke's Drift in Natal, South Africa, and he served in the Anglo-Zulu War, fighting at the Battle of Rorke's Drift and being awarded the Distinguished Conduct Medal for keeping his cool during the British soldiers' brave stand. After the war, he served in British India and Burma, and he retired from the army in 1907. He returned to service during World War I and trained 10,000 British and Irish sharpshooters. At the end of the war, he was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and appointed OBE. He died on 8 May 1945, Victory in Europe Day, at the age of 91; he was the last survivor of Rorke's Drift.